Board games have been a popular source of entertainment for people for a number of years. A number of games exist, including the following.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,416 to Jones et al. discloses a game having two playing boards, one mounted on top of the other. Each player has four playing pieces. The goal of the game is to move all four playing pieces from a start to an end position. One player's piece can land on another player's piece and send it back to the beginning. The top board is rotated according to a roll of the die. Whenever a game piece lands on an indicated "socket," that piece is automatically moved to the socket above or below the space on which the piece landed. The game also has a feature where a piece that lands on certain designated sockets can be moved to the center of the board. A player must roll a specific number to move out of the center of the board, but when that number is rolled the player can move to any of the transition sockets on either game board. Optionally, a player making a move that ends on an indicated socket can move diagonally when transitioning between boards.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,334 to Pippin discloses a game that includes rotatable discs. The goal of the game is to move pieces from a start position to an end position. The paths on the game board, however, include paths on discs. Based on the spin of a pinwheel, the players can rotate these discs during play.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,749 to Charney discloses a game board that comes in several different pieces. Those pieces can be assembled in a variety of different combinations. Each piece corresponds to a "region" such as Paris or London. Each piece includes a number of business locations, defining paths on the board piece. Play in this game proceeds as follows. Each player has an initial amount of money. In addition, there are a number of "business coupons" associated with locations on the boards. The business coupons can be acquired by taking one from an opposing player when the player lands on a board location already occupied by the opposing player, receiving one free when landing on a special chamber of commerce location, or purchasing one when landing on a special newsstand location. When a player lands on a business location, he can exchange one or more business coupons corresponding to that location for money. The purpose of the game is to amass a fortune in order to, at the end of the game, purchase the business locations on the board. The board includes a number of board locations corresponding to "time." When a time location is landed on, a new time card is drawn. This indicates the advancing of time under the game. Drawing a time card changes the cost of purchasing new business coupons (e.g., at a newsstand location), the current value of tax assessed (e.g., if the player lands on a bureau of taxation location), and a limo fare (as explained below). Other features disclosed in the specification include:
(a) A travel agency location on the board. When landing on a travel agency, a player may risk a business coupon against a certain amount of money held by the Bank. When this is done, the player draws a "postcard" from a deck. If the postcard happens to match the region of the board on which the player's game piece is located, the player wins the money. Otherwise, the player must give up the business coupon. PA1 (b) The board includes hotel locations. When a hotel is landed on, the player may pay a limousine fare. After paying the fare, the player can move his game piece to any other location on the board. PA1 (c) A player can choose among alternative routes in order to enter different regions on the board. PA1 (d) The individual pieces of the assembled board can be flipped, to reveal new regions, during play.
British Patent 694,880 to Anglo-Scottish Pictures Limited discloses a game board that has a number of pieces. There is a main board that defines a number of incomplete paths. The board is filled in with small reversible boards (i.e., boards that have paths on both sides) that fit into the main board. When a player is positioned to enter a small reversible board, the player rolls a die--the small reversible board is then rotated or flipped so that the small board is positioned such that the player will enter the path on the small board indicated by the die roll. Much of the game path (i.e., on the side of the small board that is facing down) is out of sight at any one moment during play of the game. The game includes a feature for moving the small boards, and changing the direction in which a game piece is moving, based on rolls of dice. For example, if a six and an odd number is rolled, a player may reverse the direction of his game piece on the board. If a player rolls a double six, the player can change the paths on the board (by moving the small reversible boards). If the player rolls a double two or a double four, all of the players may be forced to reverse direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,026,082 to Darrow discloses the board game known as MONOPOLY, which is described in greater detail below.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,836 to Foti discloses a board game where more than one board is used, each board representing a different geographical area. Play within each area is similar to play for MONOPOLY. Each geographic location may use a different currency and the exchange rates may change during play. Transitions between boards are mandatory and made when landing on a deportation board location.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,233 to Wilson discloses an add-on board for a game, and is specifically applied to MONOPOLY. The patent discloses an add-on board for MONOPOLY where the new board locations are positioned around the exterior of an existing MONOPOLY board. The add-on board has a recess in its center where the existing MONOPOLY board is placed--such that the add-on board locations and the existing MONOPOLY board locations are flush. Entry to and exit from the add-on board is done automatically, i.e., a player who passes the indicated board position will always transition from one board to the other. This patent also discloses addition of board locations for bridges and airlines.
Games such as those described above offer varying levels of skill, elements of chance and theme. For example, some games are directed to positioning pieces on a game board, where pieces are moved based on a random factor such as a roll of dice. Other games, such as chess, involve no random element and are based only on skill. In addition, some games have no theme and involve only the positioning of pieces on a game board. Other games have a theme such as real estate transactions (for example, MONOPOLY). Finally, games have varying levels of complexity both in the rules for the game and for strategic decisions made during the course of play. It is a goal, therefore, to attempt to find a mix of the random elements, strategy, theme and complexity that enhances people's enjoyment of the game and retains their interest over time.
People playing games often wish to play familiar games in order to avoid having to learn new and difficult rules. People also become bored, however, with playing the same game over and over again. One solution to this problem is to develop an add-on board for existing games.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,233 to Wilson discloses an add-on board game for the game of Monopoly. The add-on board is shaped to fit around the perimeter of the existing Monopoly board game--thus increasing the size of the overall playing surface. In addition, transitions from the existing board to the add-on board and transitions back are mandatory.
Accordingly, people desire a new and improved game that offers new features which are not found in the prior art and that provide a mix of skill, chance and theme that increase people's enjoyment in their leisure time.